Prospective head-to-head comparison of non-invasive scores for diagnosis of fibrotic MASH in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Non-invasive scores have been proposed to identify patients with fibrotic, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), who are at the highest risk of progression to complications of cirrhosis and may benefit from pharmacologic treatments. However, data in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are lacking. The aim of this multicenter prospective study was to perform a head-to-head comparison of FAST (FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase [AST]), MAST (MRI-AST), MEFIB (magnetic resonance elastography [MRE] plus FIB-4), and FNI (fibrotic NASH index) for detecting fibrotic MASH in patients with T2DM. METHODS: A total of 330 outpatients with T2DM and biopsy-proven metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) from the QUID-NASH study (NCT03634098), who underwent FibroScan, MRI-proton density fat fraction and MRE at the time of liver biopsy were studied. The main outcome was fibrotic MASH, defined as NAS ≥4 (with at least one point for each parameter) and fibrosis stage ≥2 (centrally reviewed). RESULTS: All data for score comparisons were available for 245 patients (median age 59 years, 65% male, median BMI 31 kg/m2; fibrotic MASH in 39%). FAST and MAST had similar accuracy (AUROCs 0.81 vs. 0.79, p = 0.41) but outperformed FNI (0.74; p = 0.01) and MEFIB (0.68; p <0.0001). When using original cut-offs, MAST outperformed FAST, MEFIB and FNI when comparing the percentage of correctly classified patients, in whom liver biopsy would be avoided (69% vs. 48%, 46%, 39%, respectively; p <0.001). When using cut-offs specific to our population, FAST outperformed FNI and MAST (56% vs. 40%, and 38%, respectively; p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings show that FAST, MAST, MEFIB and FNI are accurate non-invasive tools to identify patients with T2DM and fibrotic MASH in secondary/tertiary diabetes clinics. Cut-offs adapted to the T2DM population should be considered. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS: Among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), identifying those with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis and significant fibrosis, who are the most at risk of developing clinical liver-related outcomes and who may benefit from pharmacologic treatments, is an unmet need. In this prospective multicenter study, we compared four non-invasive scores, three based on imaging (MRI or ultrasound technologies) and one on laboratory blood tests, for this purpose, using original and study-specific cut-offs. Our findings show that FAST, MAST, MEFIB and FNI are accurate non-invasive tools to identify patients with T2DM and fibrotic MASH in secondary/tertiary diabetes clinics. Cut-offs adapted to the T2DM population should be considered. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03634098.

CD62L on blood basophils: a first pre-treatment predictor of remission in severe lupus nephritis.

BACKGROUND: Basophils were recently shown to contribute to lupus nephritis (LN). This study assessed blood basophil activation markers (BAMs) for the diagnosis of LN severity and as pre-treatment prognostic markers of the response to treatment in patients with severe LN. METHOD: The diagnostic study included all the patients of a monocentric prospective observational cohort built with consecutive patients diagnosed with LN on the basis of a renal biopsy. The prognostic study selected patients of this cohort according to the following inclusion criteria: ≥18 years old, Class III or IV A ± C ± Class V or pure Class V LN at the time of inclusion and treated with an induction treatment for LN. Clinical data and BAMs were obtained at the time of the kidney biopsy. LN remission status was recorded 12 months after induction therapy initiation. Associations between baseline data and histological severity of LN or LN remission were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: No significant association was found between BAMs and the histological severity of LN in 101 patients. Among the 83 patients included in the prognostic study, 64 reached renal remission. CD62L expression on blood basophils at baseline was independently negatively associated with remission at 12 months [odds ratio = 0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.08-0.82, P = 0.02 for quantitative CD62L expression >105 (geometric fluorescent intensity) gMFI]. CD62L <105 gMFI was associated with a probability of 0.87 of LN remission in the next 12 months after the start of induction therapy. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment CD62L expression on blood basophils could be a first predictive biomarker of renal response to induction therapy at 12 months in patients with severe LN.

Evaluation by simulation of clinical trial designs for evaluation of treatment during a viral haemorrhagic fever outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Viral haemorrhagic fevers are characterized by irregular outbreaks with high mortality rate. Difficulties arise when implementing therapeutic trials in this context. The outbreak duration is hard to predict and can be short compared to delays of trial launch and number of subject needed (NSN) recruitment. Our objectives were to compare, using clinical trial simulation, different trial designs for experimental treatment evaluation in various outbreak scenarios. METHODS: Four type of designs were compared: fixed or group-sequential, each being single- or two-arm. The primary outcome was 14-day survival rate. For single-arm designs, results were compared to a pre-trial historical survival rate pH. Treatments efficacy was evaluated by one-sided tests of proportion (fixed designs) and Whitehead triangular tests (group-sequential designs) with type-I-error = 0.025. Both survival rates in the control arm pC and survival rate differences Δ (including 0) varied. Three specific cases were considered: "standard" (fixed pC, reaching NSN for fixed designs and maximum sample size NMax for group-sequential designs); "changing with time" (increased pC over time); "stopping of recruitment" (epidemic ends). We calculated the proportion of simulated trials showing treatment efficacy, with K = 93,639 simulated trials to get a type-I-error PI95% of [0.024;0.026]. RESULTS: Under H0 (Δ = 0), for the "standard" case, the type-I-error was maintained regardless of trial designs. For "changing with time" case, when pC > pH, type-I-error was inflated, and when pC < pH it decreased. Wrong conclusions were more often observed for single-arm designs due to an increase of Δ over time. Under H1 (Δ = + 0.2), for the "standard" case, the power was similar between single- and two-arm designs when pC = pH. For "stopping of recruitment" case, single-arm performed better than two-arm designs, and fixed designs reported higher power than group-sequential designs. A web R-Shiny application was developed. CONCLUSIONS: At an outbreak beginning, group-sequential two-arm trials should be preferred, as the infected cases number increases allowing to conduct a strong randomized control trial. Group-sequential designs allow early termination of trials in cases of harmful experimental treatment. After the epidemic peak, fixed single-arm design should be preferred, as the cases number decreases but this assumes a high level of confidence on the pre-trial historical survival rate.

Impact of cardiac function, refractory ascites and beta blockers on the outcome of patients with cirrhosis listed for liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Whether non-selective beta blockers (NSBBs) are deleterious in patients with end-stage cirrhosis and refractory ascites has been widely debated. We hypothesized that only the subset of patients on the liver transplant waiting list who had impaired cardiac performance would be at increased risk of mortality if receiving NSBBs. METHODS: This study included 584 consecutive patients with cirrhosis evaluated for transplantation between 1999 and 2014. All patients had right heart catheterization with hemodynamic measurements at evaluation. Fifty percent received NSBBs. Refractory ascites was present in 33%. Cardiac performance was assessed by left ventricular stroke work index (LVSWI). Waiting list mortality without liver transplantation was explored using competing risk analysis. RESULTS: LVSWI was significantly lower in patients with refractory ascites. In multivariate analysis using competing risk, refractory ascites, NSBBs and LVSWI were associated with waiting list mortality in the whole population, with a statistically significant interaction between NSBBs and LVSWI. The most discriminant value of LVSWI was 64.1 g-m/m2. In the final model, refractory ascites (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.52; 95% CI1.01-2.28; p = 0.0083) and treatment by NSBBs with LVSWI <64.1 g-m/m2 (subdistribution hazard ratio 1.96; 95% CI 1.32-2.90; p = 0.0009) were significantly associated with waiting list mortality, taking into account serum sodium and the model for end-stage liver disease score. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that compromised cardiac performance is more common in patients with refractory ascites and that NSBBs are deleterious in cirrhotic patients with compromised cardiac performance. These results highlight the prognostic value of cardiac function in patients with end-stage cirrhosis. LAY SUMMARY: There are still controversies concerning the impact of non-selective beta blockers on outcomes in patients with decompensated cirrhosis, especially in those with refractory ascites. In this study of 584 cirrhotic patients evaluated for liver transplantation, who underwent right heart catheterization, we have shown that global cardiac performance measured by left ventricular stroke work index is lower in patients with refractory ascites. Administration of non-selective beta blockers in patients with compromised cardiac performance may increase waiting list mortality. These results highlight the prognostic value of global cardiac performance in patients with end-stage cirrhosis.

Maternal and neonatal outcomes of French prospective multicenter cohort study COVIPREG during the first two COVID-19 waves.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnant women was the subject of many questions since the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We aim to assess maternal and neonatal outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection contracted during 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy during the first two COVID-19 waves across a prospective French multicenter cohort study. Patients were included between April 2020 and January 2021 in 10 maternity hospitals in Paris area with two groups (i) pregnant women with a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal RT-PCR between [14WG; 37WG[(symptomatic infection), (ii) pregnant women with a negative serology (or equivocal) at delivery and without a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal RT-PCR at any time during pregnancy (G2 group) MAIN FINDINGS: 2410 pregnant women were included, of whom 310 had a positive SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal RT-PCR and 217 between [14WG; 37WG[. Most infections occurred between 28 and 37 weeks of gestation (56 %). Most patients could be managed as outpatients, while 23 % had to be hospitalized. Among women with a positive RT-PCR, multiparous women were over-represented (OR = 2.45[1.52;3.87]); were more likely to deliver before 37 weeks of gestation (OR = 2.19[1.44;3.24]) and overall cesarean deliveries were significantly increased (OR = 1.53[1.09;2.13]). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the maternal, obstetrical, and neonatal burden associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections during the first two pandemic waves before availability of vaccines. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04355234 (registration date: 21/04/2020).

Transplacental transfer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in comparison to other pathogens total antibodies.

BACKGROUNDS: Due to immaturity of their immune system, passive maternal immunization is essential for newborns during their first months of life. Therefore, in the current context of intense circulation of SARS-CoV-2, identifying factors influencing the transfer ratio (TR) of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (NAb) appears important. METHODS: Our study nested in the COVIPREG cohort (NCT04355234), included mothers who had a SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive during their pregnancy and their newborns. Maternal and neonatal NAb levels were measured with the automated iFlash system. RESULTS: For the 173 mother-infant pairs included in our study, the median gestational age (GA) at delivery was 39.4 weeks of gestation (WG), and 29.7 WG at maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Using a multivariate logistic model, having a NAb TR above 1 was positively associated with a longer delay from maternal positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR to delivery (aOR 1.09, 95% CI: 1.03 - 1.17) and with a later GA at delivery (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.09 - 2.52). It was negatively associated with being a male newborn (aOR 0.21, 95% CI: 0.07 - 0.59). In 3rd trimester SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers, NAb TR was inferior to VZV, toxoplasmosis, CMV, measle and rubella's TR. However, in 1st or 2nd trimester infected mothers, only measle TR was different from NAb TR. CONCLUSION: Male newborn of mothers infected by SARS-CoV-2 during their pregnancy appear to have less protection against SARS-CoV-2 in their first months of life than female newborns. Measle TR was superior to NAb TR even in case of 1st or 2nd trimester maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Future studies are needed to investigate possible differences in transmission of NAb following infection vs vaccination and its impact on TR.

High Prevalence of NASH and Advanced Fibrosis in Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Study of 330 Outpatients Undergoing Liver Biopsies for Elevated ALT, Using a Low Threshold.

OBJECTIVE: Most people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or advanced fibrosis (AF) remain undiagnosed, resulting in missed opportunities for early intervention. This multicenter, prospective study assessed the yield of using routinely available data to identify these patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 713 outpatients with T2DM, screened in four diabetology clinics for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease according to American Diabetes Association criteria, were referred to hepatologists for further work-up (Fibrosis-4 and vibration-controlled transient elastography [VCTE]). A liver biopsy was proposed when ALT levels were persistently >20 IU/L in female patients or >30 IU/L in male patients, in the absence of other liver disease. RESULTS: Liver biopsies were performed in 360 patients and considered adequate for reading after central review for 330 specimens (median patient age, 59 years; male patients, 63%; median BMI and HbA1c values, 32 and 7.5%, respectively). Prevalence of NASH, AF, and cirrhosis were 58%, 38%, and 10%, respectively. Liver lesions were independently associated with the components of metabolic syndrome but not with the micro- and macrovascular complications of T2DM. Models based on routinely available data with or without VCTE had good accuracy to predict AF (respectively: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC], 0.84 and 0.77; and correctly classified 59% and 45%) and NASH (respectively: AUROC, 0.82 and 0.81; 44% and 42%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the use of a low ALT threshold, prevalence of NASH (58%) or AF (38%) was high. Routinely available data had a high yield in identifying patients with T2DM with AF and/or NASH requiring further liver assessment.

One-Year Sequelae and Quality of Life in Adults with Meningococcal Meningitis: Lessons from the COMBAT Multicentre Prospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: COMBAT is a prospective, multicentre cohort study that enrolled consecutive adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) in 69 participating centres in France between February 2013 and July 2015 and followed them for 1 year. METHODS: Patients aged at least 18 years old, hospitalised with CABM were followed during their hospitalisation and then contacted by phone 12 months after enrolment. Here we present the prevalence of sequelae at 12 months in a subgroup of patients with meningococcal meningitis. RESULTS: Five of the 111 patients with meningococcal meningitis died during initial hospitalisation and two died between discharge and 12 months, leaving 104 patients alive 1 year after enrolment, 71 of whom provided 12-month follow-up data. The median age was 30.0 years and 54.1% of the patients had no identified risk factor for meningitis. More than 30% reported persistent headache, more than 40% were not satisfied with their sleep and 10% had concentration difficulties. Hearing loss was present in about 15% of the patients and more than 30% had depressive symptoms. About 13% of the patients with a previous professional activity had not resumed work. On the SF-12 Health Survey, almost 50% and 30% had physical component or mental component scores lower than the 25th percentile of the score distribution in the French general population. There was a non-significant improvement in the patients' disability scores from hospital discharge to 12 months (p = 0.16), but about 10% of the patients had residual disability. CONCLUSIONS: Although most patients in our cohort survive meningococcal meningitis, the long-term burden is substantial and therefore it is important to ensure a prolonged follow-up of survivors and to promote preventive strategies, including vaccination. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.Gov identification number NCT01730690.

High doses of favipiravir in two men survivors of Ebola virus disease carrying Ebola virus in semen in Guinea.

BACKGROUND: Persistence of Ebola virus (EBOV) in semen remains of deep concern, as sexual transmission of EBOV seems plausible up to 6 months after acute phase of Ebola virus disease (EVD). Favipiravir, a broad spectrum antiviral product, has been evaluated in reducing EVD mortality in Guinea in 2014-2015 in the JIKI trial, the pharmacokinetic results of which suggest that an increase of dose might be necessary to achieve a therapeutically relevant exposure. In FORCE trial, we aimed at evaluating the tolerance and activity of high doses of favipiravir in male EVD survivors with EBOV RNA detection in semen in Guinea. CASE: In 2016, we launched a phase IIa open-labeled multicenter dose escalation study. Male survivors of EVD with EBOV RT-PCR positive on semen received a loading dose of 2400 mg BID of favipiravir on day 1 then a maintenance dose of 1800 mg BID from day 2-14. The primary outcome was the tolerance, assessed daily during period treatment and up to day 90. Unfortunately only two participants were included and the trial was stopped for lack of recruitment. No clinical adverse event of grade 3/4 was reported for both patients. One patient experienced a grade 3 hypocalcemia at day 10 and 14. CONCLUSIONS: High doses of favipiravir were well tolerated in these two participants. Better characterized tolerance and pharmacokinetics of high doses of favipiravir are of utmost importance considering that favipiravir is a candidate treatment for a variety of emerging severe viral diseases with poor prognosis.

Combined Bacterial Meningitis and Infective Endocarditis: When Should We Search for the Other When Either One is Diagnosed?

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe patients with coexisting infective endocarditis (IE) and bacterial meningitis (BM). METHODS: We merged two large prospective cohorts, an IE cohort and a BM cohort, with only cases of definite IE and community-acquired meningitis. We compared patients who had IE and BM concurrently to patients with IE only and BM only. RESULTS: Among the 1030 included patients, we identified 42 patients with IE-BM (4.1%). Baseline characteristics of patients with IE-BM were mostly similar to those of patients with IE, but meningitis was the predominant presentation at admission (39/42, 92.3%). Causative pathogens were predominantly Streptococcus pneumoniae (18/42, 42.9%) and Staphylococcus aureus (14/42, 33.3%). All pneumococcal IE were associated with BM (18/18). BM due to oral and group D streptococci, Streptococcus agalactiae, and S. aureus were frequently associated with IE (14/30, 46.7%). Three-month mortality was 28.6% in patients with IE-BM, 20.5% in patients with IE, and 16.6% in patients with BM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pneumococcal IE or altered mental status during IE must be investigated for BM. Patients with S. aureus, oral and group D streptococcal or enterococcal BM, or unfavorable outcome in pneumococcal meningitis would benefit from an echocardiography. Patients with the dual infection have the worst prognosis. Their identification is mandatory to initiate appropriate treatment.

Prospective external validation of a new non-invasive test for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in patients with type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: One of the unmet needs in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the prediction of non-alcoholic liver disease by non-invasive blood tests, for each of the three main histological features, fibrosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and steatosis. AIMS: To validate externally the performances of a recent panel, Nash-FibroTest, for the assessment of the severity of fibrosis stages, NASH grades and steatosis grades. METHODS: We prospectively analysed 272 patients with T2DM. Standard definitions of stages and grades were used, and analyses were centralised and blinded. The performances of the FibroTest, NashTest-2 and SteatoTest-2 were assessed using the Obuchowski measure (OM), the main outcome recommended as a summary measure of accuracy includeing all pairwise stages and grades comparisons, which is not provided par the extensively used binary area under the ROC curve. RESULTS: The diagnostic performance of each component of the panel was significant. OM (SE; significance) of the FibroTest, the NashTest-2 and the SteatoTest-2 was 0.862 (0.012; P < 0.001), 0.827 (0.015; P < 0.001) and 0.794 (0.020; P < 0.01), respectively. For ballooning and lobular inflammation, OM was 0.794 (0.021; P < 0.001) and 0.821 (0.017; P < 0.001), respectively. In a post hoc analysis the FibroTest outperformed VCTE by 4.1% (2.5-6.5; P < 0.001) for reliability, with a non-significant difference for OM for fibrosis staging, 0.859 (0.012) for FibroTest vs 0.870 (0.009) for VCTE. CONCLUSIONS: From a single blood sample, the panel provides non-invasive diagnosis of the stages of fibrosis, and the grades of NASH and steatosis in patients with T2DM. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03634098.